She never wanted a life of fame and fortune, but at every turn, the stage called. From an early age, her mother eased her onto Broadway--and beyond. Before long, foxy young Pia Zadora was a household name, a sex symbol and then, sadly, a Hollywood joke.

Her True Hollywood Story follows the ride of this misunderstood singer and actress, from child star to chart topper to Penthouse centerfold. The story tells of her millionaire older husband, who tried to make her a superstar, and their unique, up-and-down romance.

From a performing family in New Jersey, Zadora spent much of her childhood and teen years on Broadway, often wishing she was elsewhere. She dreamed of a normal life, of school and family, but as her first film role (in Santa Clause Conquers the Martians) foreshadowed, she was headed toward a career of infamy. "I look back now, and I want to take a gun and shoot myself. But hey, it's history," she tells THS.

In her twenties, she married Meshulam Riklis, a businessman 30 years her senior. He helped make Pia a splash--and the center of a Hollywood controversy--by financing her breakthrough film Butterfly. After she won a Golden Globe award for the movie, fingers pointed quickly to her husband's wining and dining of the panelists. And after the flop The Lonely Lady, Pia became a universal late-night TV target and retreated into what she loved best: singing. A string of well-respected albums and a pop hit with Jermaine Jackson gave Pia new life and a new image. But she has retreated further--finally--into the life of family and quiet.

In this revealing True Hollywood Story, Zadora talks about how a near-scandal, a bad marriage and public mockery drove her to the edge--and back. But first, get a sneak peak with a photo gallery from her own collection.